Welcome!

My name is Derek R. Lawson and I am currently a doctoral student in Personal Financial Planning with an emphasis in Financial Therapy / Financial Psychology at Kansas State University where I also serve as a Graduate Research Assistant to both Dr. Kristy Archuleta and Dr. Sonya Britt. Beginning May 2017, I get the honor to serve as the President of the Graduate Student Council at Kansas State University! The purpose of this website is to showcase my research, publications and academic presentations, as well as to provide you with the opportunity to reach out to me.

I am also a Financial Planner at Priority Financial Partners, and am a lead advisor for a limited number of clients. In addition to that role, I assist with financial plan development for all the clients of the firm, and help with the ongoing development of the firm’s overarching strategy. I enjoy helping individuals and families focus on what is really important in their life, and have a passion for assisting Gen Y/Millennial members better understand the world of personal finance.

My research focuses on relationship dynamics, physiological stressors, financial therapy, behavioral finance, and consumption decisions, with a primary focus of young adults in their mid-twenties and thirties. My work has been published in the Journal of Financial Planning, and I have co-authored a chapter on Money Scripts in the book, Financial Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. I received my undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Iowa and a Master’s in Family Studies and Human Services with an emphasis in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.

In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors with my wife (Ashley) & our two dogs, and I continue to play ice hockey as much as possible. My wife and I currently reside in Manhattan, KS, but frequently travel to back to Des Moines, IA, to see friends and family. We also love to take day trips an explore the open roads and the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas!